Integrating mechanism



, Dec. 12, 1950 BIEHLER 2,533,710

INTEGRATING MECHANISM Filed Feb. 2, 1949 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VEN TOR.

Lou 5 A. BICHLER. BY

(UM, m rfl ATTORNEYS.

Dec. 12, 1950 L. A. BIEHLER 2,533,710

INTEGRATING MECHANISM Filed Feb. 2, 1949 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 F6-2. $1!llllllLlllllllllllllIllIll 15 llllyil 14 A TTORNEVS.

Dec. 12, 1950 Filed Feb. 2, 1949 L. A. BIEHLER INTEGRATING MECHANISM 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 ATTORNEYS.

Patented Dec. 12, 1950 OFFICE Y INTEGRATING MECHANISM Louis A. Biehler, 'Stanhope, N. J assignor to Sintering Machinery Corporation, Netcong, N. 3., a corporation of New Jersey Application February 2, 1949, Serial No. 74,219

6 Claims.

the conveyor belt carrying the material to be eighed, which rate of travel is one of the quantities to be integrated along with the varying eight of material on the conveyor as it passes iven point. The disc operates to rotate one more wheels frictionallyengaging the disc and hose position thereon is caused to vary in acijc'ordance with changes in weight of the material transported on the conveyor belt. A change in position of the wheels on the disc causes changes the relative speeds thereof and the difference in speeds is imparted through a differential gear assembly to a registering device which yields a visual indication thereof in terms of weight.

I In order to render the mechanism extremely sensitive to small load changes on the conveyor belt, it is desirable to provide means to'turn the axes of the wheels in a plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the disc in response to load changes whereby the 'rotative influence of the disc on the wheels may be employed to move them I. radially thereof.

. The present invention is directed'to improved 5 is connected to a differential gearing assembly bymeans of a coil spring flexible shaft. A lever is so mounted as to be pivotally moved in response to changes in-weight ofthe materialcarfried by the conveyor belt and thereby cause one ofthe wheels to move radially of the disc, the i'other wheel being caused to move with the first i wheel by the provision of an interconnecting link, and sothat as one wheel is moved radially outwardly of the disc, for example, the other will 'be moved an equal distance radially inwardly.

The provision of the flexible shaft coupling the wheels to the difierential gearing asembly allows ,the wheels to be skewed on the disc in order to facilitate the radial movement thereof and increase the sensitivity of themechanism to small 2 load changes. A horizontal guideway is provided above the disc to carry the diflerential gearing assembly and to control the radial movement of the wheels.

The invention resides in the novel combinations and arrangements of parts as hereinafter described in connection with the accompanying drawings which form a part of the specification and in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a conveyor scale arrangement with which the invention maybe used for ascertaining the weight of material transported on the conveyor associated therewith;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the device of the present invention according to the preferred embodiment thereof; 7

Fig. 3 is a front elevational view of the device of Fig. l;

Fig. 4 is a side view of the device of Fig. '1; ',1

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line 5-5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view showing the .structural details of a limiting device adapted for use with the invention; r

Fig. 7 is a horizontal fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 'l--| of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a view taken along the line and in the 1 direction of the arrows at 88 of Fig. 6;

the latter also carrying a supporting structure indicated generally at l3 for other parts of the mechanism. Power is supplied to the vertical shaft H by means of a sprocket chain l4 and a sprocket wheel [5 which carries a worm wheel 16 on shaft [8 adapted to drive a worm gear keyed to the shaft II. The sprocket chain M is also connected to be driven in a manner hereinafter to be described from a conveyor belt so that the speed of rotation of the disc varies as the rate of travel of the conveyor belt which is one quantity to be integrated. f

Wheels 19 and 25 are respectively disposed on opposite sides of the vertical shaft ll and frictionally engage the disc 10, each wheel preferably being provided with a friction band or bead 22. as is shown in Fig. 5. Each wheel is rotatably mounted in yokes 23 and 24, respectively,

assembly is mounted on the vertical supporting.

members 32 of the structure I3 and comprises horizontal guideways 33 and 34, each: being pro.- vided with an elongated recessed portion 35. The front side of such carriage, Fig. 3, isisupported on rollers 36 rotatable about shafts 31 carried in the housings 25 and 26, respectively, the rollers being adapted to work within the recessed portion of guideway 33 to control the movement of the wheels 19 and 2!. radially of the disc.

The wheels I9 and 21 are provided with flexible shafts indicated at 3 8 and 39, respectively,

mounted for rotation with the wheels and separatel'y journaled within a suitable, housing 41. Carried. on the opposite ends of the shafts and within this housing are spur gears indicated at 41 and 43'. Spur gear 42* isadapted to mesh with a. large gear 44 freely disposed on a hollow shaft within which is disposed an output shaft 45. Spur gear 43 is adapted to meshwith large gear 41, also free to rotate about the shaft 45, the two'large' gears'forming a part of a differential gear assembly indicated generally at 48. Beveled gears 49 and are carried by and rotatable with large gears 44 and 41, respectively, with additionalbeveled gears 52 and 53 being disposed on opposite sides of theshaft 45 and meshing with beveled gears 49 and 51, as is clearly shown in Fig; 2; Thebeveled gears 52- and 53 are mounted on a shaft 54 to drive the output shaft 45 when a differential rotative movement exists between the two large gears and 41.

V The hollow shaft 45 and output shaft 46- disposed" therein aresupported by a rectangular framework 55; on the" rear end of which is disposed a shaft 56 carrying a roller 51: adaptedtions comprise" the other quantity to be integrated. The speed indicator 591 is driven by the output shaft. 46' bymearis: of gear 6| keyed to the. shaft and intermediate. gears 82 and: 63,.Fig.

Q. The revolution counter: is: driven from the speed indicator by" means of a" suitable geararrangement. indicated at 54, Fig. 3.

Referring now particularly to Fig. 2 of the drawings, one end of- .a. lever 65 is.rigidly secured to the yoke for wheel l9 and is disposed within a plane parallel. to. the plane of the disc. The other end. of the leveris. provided with a. slotlikeopeningv 66 within which is disposed, in verticat relation therewith, a beam lever 6'1 pivotally mounted for movement in response to load changes on the conveyor belt. in a. manner hereinafter to' be described. In order that the positions: of wheels l9 and 2| will be skewed. concurrently in opposite directions in. response to load. changes, a, connecting link .68. is. provided between yokes 23 and 24. The disc, wheels and iii) differential gear assembly are disposed within a suitable housing 69 carried on the supporting member l2 and provided with an elongated opening H to permit pivotal movement of the beam lever 61.

Fig. 1 of the drawings shows a conveyor scale device suitable for use with the mechanism of the present invention and; is described herein merely for the purpose ofmore clearly illustrating one example of how the invention may be used, the scale device forming no part of the invention.

The scale device comprises a rectangular framework 12' having cross members 13, each adapted to. carry a troughing idler 14 over which the conveyor belt 10 carrying the material to be weighed is to pass. On the return, the conveyor belt passes over bending idlers 15 carried by the framework to positively engage a driving roller 15. It is from this driving roller that power may be supplied todisc ID by way of sprocket wheel l 5'-an1dsprocket chain M which engages another sprocket wheel 11 mounted for rotation with the driving roller 16: The framework 12 is suspended by means of rods Moonnected to levers 13. A pendulum type beam fll is fulcrumed about knife edge!!! and is provided with abalancing weight pan 83' at one end thereof. Lever 84 hangs from the other end of the pendulum beam and supports a shelf lever 85 which in turn is connected at oneend 'ofieach of the main levers 194 The beam lever 61] is formed integrally with the pendulum beam at the center thereof and passes through-the mechanism housing 69 to engage in the slot156 oflever B5-(Fig.2). v

The operation of the integrating mechanism will now be described; With no material being carried on the" belt between the troughing idlers, the beam lever-51 is positioned substantially vertically; as shown in Fig; 1-, and the wheels 13' and 2| are disposed on oppositesides of the axis of rotation of the disc: equidistantly therefrom: In this position, thewheels rotate at the same speed but in opposite directions, whereby the large gears 44' and? 41 are caused'to' rotate at the same speed in opposite directions and no; rota-tire movement is imparted tothe output" shaft 46. When a load is applied to the belt between the troughing idlers, the beam lever? will be pivotally moved about the knife edge 82. When this occurs, lever and wheel I! are. skewed. about an axis. parallel to the. axis of rotation of the disc, the wheel 21' alsov being similarly but oppositely skewedby reason of link G'Sinterconnecting the. wheellyokes. This skewing, movement is made easily possible by reason or the flexible spring shafts coupling thefwheels to the differential. gear assembly.

The character of the movement of' the wheels in response. to load changes on the conveyor belt is. indicated. (with. some exaggeration) in dotted outline. in Fig. 2. of the drawings. The skewing of the. lever. and wheelscauses the, latter to move radially off the disc, whereby the mechanism as a. whole is. rendered. extremely sensitive to load changes. That is, the force exerted on the wheels by the beam lever in response to load changes is not materially relied upon to variably position the wheels on. the disc but rather is employed to skew lever 55 to predetermine, the repositioning of the wheels, the rotativ influence of the disc being, utilized to move the wheels when skewed to their new po'sitions determinedzby lever" g I V Assumingthat thewheeishavflrst been to substantially the positions shown in dotted outline" in Fig; 2, it will be understood that they will then come into substantially parallel positions, under the influence of the rotating disc, after reaching their new positions. The change in the positions of the wheels will result .in one wheel rotating at a greater speed than th other since one will be disposed nearer the periphery of the disc and the other nearer the axisof rotation thereof. When this occurs, the differential gearing will cause rotation of the output shaft and operation of the indicators. Any further changes in the load carried by the conveyor will cause the beam lever to move in one direction or the other selectively in accordance with an increase or decrease in load weight to thereby position the wheels on the disc in a manner to reflect the load change in the speed of rotation of the output shaft.

' It will be apparent that the connection of the wheels 19 and 21 to the differential by means of flexible shafts, permits the wheels to be readily skewed by amounts accurately in proportion to even very slight changes in the load being weighed, since the skewing is brought about without any relative slidable movement between parts which might cause varying frictional resistance to movement. And as soon as the wheels are skewed, the force of the rotating disc onthe wheels tending to cause the wheels to track around the disc circumferentially, will provide the necessary power to move the carriage to the desired new position and, therefore, the movement of the greater part of the mechanism is caused by power from the disc without interferin with the sensitivity of the scale arrangement. The arrangement of the wheels on their flexible shafts at opposite sides of the axis of the disc also insures a well-balanced arrangement and one in which the differential speed between the wheels is in effect the sum of the changes in speed of the two wheels and such that the effect of inaccuracies in the change of the speed of either one will be minimized.

Under certain conditions, it has been found desirable to limit the degree of skewing of the wheels for example, when the device is not in use, and the disc is not rotating, should a substantial change in load occur when a workman accidentally steps on the scale platform, the wheels may be skewed or tilted on the disc surficiently to cause damage to various parts. Fur-' thermore, while the device is operating and the disc rotating, it is desirable that the degree of skewing or tilt of the wheels in response to load I changes be limited to an extent sufficient for the disc to move the wheels radially thereof. Any additional tilting of the wheels will result in further unnecessary bending of the flexible spring shafts, and it is possible that this further bending of the spring shafts may cause distortion thereof which may render the device as a whole inaccurate in use.

The structure shown in Figs. 6-10 of the drawings is intended to accomplish the above object while, at the same time, permitting free movement of the lever displaced by the scale beam in order that its function of controlling the positioning of the wheels on the disc will not be dis turbed. It will be understood, however, that since the two wheels of the integrating device described above are tied together, it is necessary only to provide skew limiting means for one wheel.

- Referring particularly to Fig. 6, 19' indicates one of the wheels which frictionally engages the disc l0 and is journaled for rotation within yoke 23". ,The flexible shaft rotatable with wheel ['9' is indicated at 33. In order to limit the tilt or degree of skewing of the wheel I9, I have found it convenient to provide a casting 81 having a flat surface 89, firmly secured to the top surface of the wheel yoke 23" as by the screws 99, and a rounded vertically disposed portion 9 l. A similar casting 92 is secured to the undersid of spindle housing 25 as by screws as, this latter casting being provided with a depending nub. 94 positioned within an elongated recess 95 formed in the rounded upper edge of the vertical portion 9| of casting 81'. Thus, as wheel [9 is skewed or tilted in either direction, the vertical portion 9| of casting 81 moves therewith such that one side of the recess 95 formed therein moves towardthe hub 94, and upon engagement therewith, further skewing of the wheel is prevented. By test, I have found that a tilt of substantially 8 is sumcient to allow the wheel to be repositioned 0n the disc, under the rotative influence thereof, and the distance betwe n the sides of recess 95 may be gauged to permit 8 tilting of the wheel. Should it be desired to permit the wheel to tilt beyond the 8, it is only necessary to enlarge the width of the recess.

As pointed out above, however, the skewing of the wheels is produced by the skewing movement of lever which is pivotally secured to lever 61, Fig. 1, of the scale beam, the function of lever 95' being to predetermine the proper repositioning of the wheels on the disc in response to load changes. Therefore, it is necessary that lever 65' be free to tilt or skew through an arc corresponding to load changes. To accomplish this, I have provided a supplemental yoke member 96, Fig. 8, which is loosely secured to the yoke portion 91 of lever 65' as by screws 98 respectively disposed within a series of elongated slots indicated at 99, 1 EM and I 92, the supplementary yoke being rigidly secured to the wheel yoke 23" as by screws I03. Coil springs I94 and H15 interconnect the supplemental yoke 96 and yoke portion 91 of lever 65 and serve to maintain the yokes in alignment until the wheel has reached its maximum skewing point.

The operation of this structure can best be seen from a consideration of Figs. 9 and 10 of the drawings, wherein Fig. 9 shows the wheel l9 positioned at its maximum tilting point, in which position, yokes 96 and 91 are maintained in alignment, with screws 98, loosely securing the yokes together, also being maintained in their original position, shown in Fig. 8. However, as the lever 65' continues its skewing motion in response to a load change on the conveyor belt, it assumes the position shown in Fig. 10, wherein the yoke portion of the lever is moved out of alignment with the supplemental yoke, the movement being facilitated by movement of the screws 98 within their respective slots. It will be noted from Fig. 10 that coil spring I04 becomes distended while spring IE5 is slightly compressed, thus, movement of the lever 65' beyond a position corresponding to the limit of skewing of the wheels is taken up by the coil springs.

howeveiytliat a's' the lever is skewed in the dimeusnshowam Figs. 9 and l0, the movement is about the screw located in slot I02 such that upon. thismovement, the position of the screw within its slot remains unchanged. Similarly, when thelever is tilted in the reverse direction, the movement will be about the screw located irislotSQ such that the screw will not slide there "within; It further should be noted that the length of the'slots is such as to permit as great a movement of the lever'tii as may be produced bytl'ev'eriil pivotally secured thereto and movable withinitheelongated opening "H in the housing 69, Fig. 1. Stated another way, the length of the slots 98, Hill and I02 corresponds to the length o'fslotll in housing 59 such that lever 65 may be free-to move to a new position corresponding winia maximumdeflection of lever 61 in response to load'changes';

Although as pointed out above, it only is necessary-itoconstr'uct stop means for one of the two integratorw-heels since they are tied together by means of-the connecting link/c3, Fig. 2, it can be appreciated that to render the above-described structure operable with a two wheel integrator, this connecting link may not be secured to the lever 65, otherwise the wheel at which the stop means are constructed would be limited in its s ewing-movement while the other wheel would fo'llti "the fiill skewing'moveinent of lever 65. Th refire; I it desirable to provide an exteied portion let on the supplemental yoke 95 to which the connecting link indicated at 68, Fig. 8; maybe-secured. Thus, as wheel 19' is arrested by' thenub dt-and recess 55, which serve stop means, theincvement of the supplemental yoke 96 is also arrested and connecting link 68 will caiis'ethe other wheel, to which it is connected;- to follow the movement of wheel 19.

While the invention has been particularly described in connection with apparatus for weighing materials ona moving conveyor belt, it will beunderstoodthat the arrangement may be used fer venous other integrating purposes, the disc ing-rotated at a speed in proportion to one of the factors tt'i bemeasure'd, while the lever arm 65 is moved in accordance with the other factor. Itdesired'; the output of the differential may be connected as By an extended shaft 85, Fig. 3, for example, to-snitable apparatus (not shown) for 'controlling'either additional indicating means, or, rorex'ampie, means for varying or controlling one of the factors being integrated, etc:

What is claimed-as new and desired to be seciiredbylletters Patent 01"" the UnitedStates is: l. in an integrating mechanism, the combination comprising a rotatable disc, means for rotating same atspeeds variable in proportion to changes in' value of one quantity to be integrated, a pair of wheels irictionally engaging said disc on opposite'sides or its axis of rotation and normany equally distant from said axis, whereby the wheels are-caused to rotate in opposite directions normally at the same speed by the rotation of said disc, a'carriageassembly disposed above said disc; bearing" supports for said wheels rotatably mounted on said carriage to permit skewing of thewheels, lever means connected to one of said bearing supports and movable responsive to changes in another quantity to he integrated, rotary motion reversing link. means interconnecting saidsuppoits to cause the wheels to become oppositely skewed on the disc to romote movementu frthe wheels and carriage over the disc iirs respo'nse to changes in said last-mentioned mounted on said-carriage assembly, and a pair-oi flexible shafts respectively interconnecting said wheels and said diifere'ntial gearing to drive. such gearing responsive to' relative differences between the speeds of:the wheels 2; Inan integrating. mechanism, the combination comprising a'rotatable disc, means for rotating same at speeds variable in proportiomto changes, in value oione quantity to be integrated, a wheel frictionally engaging said disc and ro tated thereby, a bearing support for saidwheel rotatably mounted to permit skewing of the wheel, carriage means for said bearing support permittin movement of said support with the carriage generally radially of the disc responsive tosuch skewing'of the wheel, means connected to said bearing support for turning sameon-its mounting to skew the wheel responsive to changes in another quantity to be integrated, a shaft flexible'in transverse directions and connected at one end to be driven by said wheel, and speed measuring means supported at least in part on said carriage and driven by the other end of said shaft.

3. In an integrating mechanism, the combina tion comprising a rotatable disc, means for m tating same at speeds variable in proportion to changes in value of one quantity to be integrated; a Wheel irictionally engaging said disc and rotated thereby, a bearingsupport for said wheel rotatably' mounted about an axis substantially perpendicular to the disc to permit skewing of the wheel, carriage means for said bearing sup port permitting movement of said support with the carriage generally radially of the disc respon; sive to such skewing of the wheel, means con nected to said bearing support for turning same on its mounting toskew the wheel responsive to changes in another quantity to be integrated, a coil spring forming a flexible shaft connected at one end to be driven by said wheel, and indicat ing means driven from the other end of said shaft.

4. In an integrating mechanism, the combination comprising a rotatable disc, means for rotat ing same at speeds variable in proportionto changes in value of one quantity to be integrated, a wheel frictionally engaging said disc and ro tated thereby, a bearing support for said wheel rotatably mounted to permit skewing of the wheel, spring means for urging said bearing sup; port and wheel toward the disc, carriage means for said bearing support permitting movement of the wheel with the carriage along the surface of the disc responsive to such skewing of the wheel; means connected to said bearing support for turning same about its mounting to skew the wheel responsive to changes in another'quantity to be integrated, a shaft flexible in transverse directions and connected at one end to be driven by said wheel, and indicating means drivenby the other end of said shaft.

5. In mechanism for integrating two quantities the combination of parts comprising a disc adapted to be rotated at a speed proportional to the value of one quantity to be integrated, a wheel frictionally engaging said disc at one side of the axis of rotation thereof, whereby the wheel is caused to rotate by the disc, speed measuring means operatively connected to said wheel, lever means movable to different positions responsive to changes in another quantLty to be integrated for skewing said wheel on the disc, whereby the wheel may be movedunder the rotati-ve' influeiu'e' of the disc to different positions thereon, stop means for limiting the degree of skew of said wheel upon excessive changes in said other quantity to be integrated, and said lever means including connecting portions which are yieldable after said stop means becomes effective, to permit further movement of the lever responsive to such excessive changes.

6. In an integrating mechanism, the combination comprising a rotatable disc, means for rotating same at speeds variable in proportion to changes in value of one quantity to be integrated, a pair of wheels frictionally engaging said disc on opposite sides of its axis of rotation, a carriage assembly disposed above said disc, bearing supports for said wheels rotatably mounted on said carriage to permit skewing of the wheels, lever means connected to one of said bearing supports and movable responsive to changes in another quantity to be integrated, rotary motion reversing link means interconnecting said supports to cause the wheels to become oppositely skewed on the disc to promote movement of the wheels and carriage over the disc in response to changes in said last-mentioned quantity, coil springs forming flexible shafts respectively connected at one end to be driven by said wheels,

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 707,340 Medina Aug. 19, 1902 732,386 Wantz June 30, 1903 1,072,500 Richardson Sept. 9, 1913 1,386,953 Robertson Aug. 9, 1921 1,406,665 Ljungstrom Feb. 14, 1922 1,559,073 Gherassimoff Oct. 27, 1925 2,218,434 Neuhaus Oct. 15, 1940 2,285,675 Merrick June 9, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 5,937 Great Britain Mar. 17, 1908 588,294 France Jan. 29, 1925 

